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doug boardley
I was thinking the other day how easy it seems to class tiles (clay, not natural) into either porcelain or ceramic.But what about the grey areas,is it a tough ceramic or a soft porcelain? I'm not ashamed to say that I googled the subject to refresh myself on these grey areas:
My googling came up with two forms of classification The American National Standards Institute, which I assume is akin to our British Standards and Thr Porcelain Enamel Institute,
Tiles are rated on a scale of permeability to water and their durability and resistance to abrasion.
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) did the water testing and came up with 4 ratings as follows
The Porcelain Enamel Institute do a rating for the durability (abrasion and wear) of tiles. These are;
Group 0: Tiles technically unsuitable for floors. These are generally used as wall tile.
Group 1 or PEI 1: Tiles suitable only for locations where softer footwear is worn or where shoes are not frequently used, for e.g., residential bathroom or other areas with light traffic. Also for interior commercial and residenti
Group 2 or PEI II: Tiles suited for general residential traffic. For areas that are walked on by soft soled or �normal� footwear with very small amounts of scratching dirt. Not for kitchen, entrance halls, stairs and other areas subjected to heavy traffic.
.Group 3 or PEI 3: Tiles suited for all residential and light commercial areas such as offices, reception areas, boutiques, interior walls, countertops and residential bathroom floors. Not recommended for commercial entryway
Group 4 or PEI 4: Tiles suited for regular traffic. Recommended for medium commercial and light institutional use, such as restaurants, hotels, hospital lobbies and corridors.
Group 5 or PEI 5: Tiles suitable for areas with heavy traffic, abrasive dirt and moisture, and where safety and maximum performance are required. Examples are shopping malls, public buildings, building entrances, swimming pools, or shopping centers.
So let's assume that on both sets of standards, the lower numbers are "ceramic" and the higher numbers are "porcelain" How do we tell which is one to use?
Porcelain tiles tend to be full bodied (unglazed) ie the colour will go right through the tile. Porcelain tile is both harder and denser than many other ceramic tile products
My googling came up with two forms of classification The American National Standards Institute, which I assume is akin to our British Standards and Thr Porcelain Enamel Institute,
Tiles are rated on a scale of permeability to water and their durability and resistance to abrasion.
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) did the water testing and came up with 4 ratings as follows
- Non-vitreous, tiles with water absorption of more than 7%
- Semi-vitreous, tiles with absorption of more than 3% but less than 7%
- Vitreous, tiles with absorption of more than 0.5% but less than 3%
- Impervious, tiles with water absorption less than 0.5%
The Porcelain Enamel Institute do a rating for the durability (abrasion and wear) of tiles. These are;
Group 0: Tiles technically unsuitable for floors. These are generally used as wall tile.
Group 1 or PEI 1: Tiles suitable only for locations where softer footwear is worn or where shoes are not frequently used, for e.g., residential bathroom or other areas with light traffic. Also for interior commercial and residenti
Group 2 or PEI II: Tiles suited for general residential traffic. For areas that are walked on by soft soled or �normal� footwear with very small amounts of scratching dirt. Not for kitchen, entrance halls, stairs and other areas subjected to heavy traffic.
.Group 3 or PEI 3: Tiles suited for all residential and light commercial areas such as offices, reception areas, boutiques, interior walls, countertops and residential bathroom floors. Not recommended for commercial entryway
Group 4 or PEI 4: Tiles suited for regular traffic. Recommended for medium commercial and light institutional use, such as restaurants, hotels, hospital lobbies and corridors.
Group 5 or PEI 5: Tiles suitable for areas with heavy traffic, abrasive dirt and moisture, and where safety and maximum performance are required. Examples are shopping malls, public buildings, building entrances, swimming pools, or shopping centers.
So let's assume that on both sets of standards, the lower numbers are "ceramic" and the higher numbers are "porcelain" How do we tell which is one to use?
Porcelain tiles tend to be full bodied (unglazed) ie the colour will go right through the tile. Porcelain tile is both harder and denser than many other ceramic tile products
- Porcelain tile is frost-resistant, and often frost-proof
- Porcelain tile is highly resistant to stain, scratch, and moisture
- Porcelain tile is a hard wearing material which is resistant to harsher cleaning agents, scratches, stains, fading, heavy loads and fire.
- Porcelain tile is available in glazed as well as unglazed varieties.
- It is strong and long-lasting.
- It can be easily installed in heavy traffic areas (Group 4 and 5).
- Porcelain tile flooring is aesthetically pleasing.
- It has a high breaking strength. Porcelain contains less clay and more feldspar (a mineral). It�s also pressed at a higher pressure.
- Porcelain tile flooring has low water absorption. Therefore, less staining occurs on these floors and they are easier to clean.
- Porcelain tile flooring offers a wide range of colors and textures, and many different designs and styles. Professionals can produce an accurate recreation of the look of natural stone, granite, slate, travertine, limestone , marble, quartzite, terracotta and even woods (as I have in my hallway!)and metals.
Characteristics of tiles
What are the tiles made from?
Ceramic is primarily made up of clays, quartziferous sands, glass substances and other minerals.
Only natural raw materials are used, mixed with water and fired at high temperatures to create a naturally beautiful product and to achieve hardness and durability.
What is porcelain tile?
Made from special clay minerals, porcelain tile (or porcelain stoneware tile) is a highly-resistant ceramic product with a solid structure and a hard surface which doesn't absorb water (classified as impervious), doesn't stain, and isn't affected by wear and tear over time.
Moreover, glazed porcelain tile requires lower maintenance than natural stone, granite and marble.
